NYC is known for great food but their coffee was only as good as its urban fragrance exhibited in the subways during the peak summertime heat. That is, until in the recent years, when major roasters and key local coffee heroes paved the way for specialty coffee.

This is, of course, not news. But I am here to show you some delicious pictures of coffee and food from our adventures in NYC during LMOOB NYC last month:

Third Rail Coffee

Stumptown at the Ace Hotel

Stupdendous dinner at Emporio

Abraco - amazing for coffee AND their olive oil cake and cookies

Abraco's rocking the Linea at 198.7 F with Counter Culture spro

Ninth St Espresso - there's always a line

Can you believe the size of that meat rack?! Yatagan Kebabs on MacDougal.

This is what "donor kebab" is... kinda like a Turkish taco

Unfortunately it was only last weekend that the super upscale (read: expensive) cycling clothing brand Rapha opened their “pop up” store on Bowery. Filled with various cycling memorabilia and paraphernalia (wake up, Eddie Merckx fans!), the store is also interesting that they’re streaming Tour de France live (what better way to watch 60 pro riders fall all over spilled motor oil?) AND they have a built in coffee shop, courtesy of Third Rail Coffee and Stumptown. So next time you’re in Manhattan and want a pair of Team Issue Bib Shorts to go along with your cortado, swing by Rapha on 352 Bowery.

Rapha's "pop up" store (photo from Flickr user pedalstrike)

Of course there are a number of other notable coffee establishments in NYC but, due to limitations in time, I wasn’t able to swing by (Joe, Bluebird), forgot to take pictures (Blue Bottle, Gimme, Grumpy), or wasn’t open just yet (Caffetteria).

Lastly, what better way to end this mini slide show with the 3 amigos singing and playing guitars on #7 en route to Queens?

A huge THANKS to all those attended the La Marzocco OUT OF THE BOX NYC last week! An an even bigger THANKS goes out to all of our sponsors, partners, and helpers! It wouldn’t have been possible without any of you.

As you’re either trying desperately to preorder the new iPhone 4 (has the preorder actually worked for anyone?) or making travel arrangements for WBC in London, let’s recap what went on last week…

The two Stradas were running on full steam as they were the main focal point at the party. There was a lot for people to discover and geek out on, considering all of the potentials in progressive pressure profiling and its affects on the espresso. It was an opportunity for people to get a firsthand preview of the machine. Of course, to really understand the full spectrum of benefits, you’d have to geek out for an hour or two simply because there’s quite a bit to wrap your head around. (For that, there were many separately arranged times on Wednesday and Thursday during which people had the opportunity to geek out more with their own coffees .)

A simplified pressure profiling calibration guide used at LMOOB.

Then there’s the Manual Brew Deathmatch, headed by Brian Ludviksen of Counter Culture and Vince Fidele of MojoToGo. Baristas battle head to head with the manual brew weaponry of their choosing. The resulting coffee is judged by MojoToGo (45%), taste (45%), and method (10%). Winners received LM “tool” bags, 1 year subscriptions to Barista Magazine, and coupons for complimentary downloads of MojoToGo iPhone app.

People were pretty stoked that we had a bike hooked up to an espresso machine. The pressure profiling bike unfortunately suffered frequent chain derailments (we didn’t install a rear derailleur to sustain proper chain tension because it hanger broke) and so we sort of had to neglect it for the evening, especially since we were so understaffed.

To make the event even more interesting, there were tables featuring our sponsors Mazzer, Espresso Parts, Barista Magazine, and TampTamp. Mazzer grinders pretty much owned the place, with their grinders on just about every table. They also showed off a new (prototype?) antistatic grid for the exit chute. Meanwhile, Espresso Parts was running a merch table and Barista Magazine was giving away copies of the current issue. TampTamp showcased services they offered in the NYC area.

The main engineer behind the new Strada, Roberto Bianchi, gave a presentation on the Strada, followed by a captivating presentation by Vince Fidele on the basket project – the next frontier in espresso technology. With any luck you’ll be able to see some tangible (production) results before the year’s end.

Despite of all the hard labor that was involved (it was like the work of 4 tradeshows in half the amount of time!) and the fact that we were understaffed, the entire party turned out pretty well. Special thanks goes out to Ninth St. Espresso, Addiction Espresso Service, Counter Culture, and Stumptown for contributing in various but significant ways. Without them, the event would not be possible.

You (industry professional) are invited to come to La Marzocco OUT OF THE BOX NYC Wednesday, June 9. OUT OF THE BOX will be an evening celebrating coffee and the fun toys we use to brew it. It’s open to all those in the specialty coffee industry, no tickets or registrations required. The Chelsea Market event space is limited in size so please arrive early to ensure entry!

Pressure Profiling Bike Race: Our tech guys Roger and John (doesn’t hurt that Roger used to be a bike mechanic ~10 years ago) modded an old bike to directly power the water pump – and voila! Pressure profiling via cadence! It serves to burn the calories from the drinks and to demonstrate the progressive pressure profiling capability of our new machines. The bike isn’t pretty bike but then again, I’m not volunteering any of my personal bikes for sure. Top competitors from each round will receive prizes. Two rounds – 7‐9pm and 9‐11pm.

Manual Brew Deathmatch: Featuring the Marco Uberboiler and Ecoboiler. The first ever type of event in the USA. Two competing baristas will brew coffee using either a Marco Uberboiler or Ecoboiler and a brew method of their choice – Hario V60, Bonmac, Clever, Chemex, press pot, Eva Solo, or Aeropress. Scoring will be based on % yield/strength via MojoToGo (45%), taste (45%), and method/fun (10%). Top competitors from each round will receive prizes. Two rounds – 7‐9pm and 9‐11pm.